Social Media

5 Key Digital Media and Advertising Trends for 2012 [VIDEO]

The past year didn’t see the emergence of the next Facebook or Twitter. Rather, it saw social and digital spread to new places and along the way enabled a wave of new opportunities for content creators and marketers.

Recently, I had an opportunity to speak about those opportunities at ThinkLA’s Trends Breakfast, a gathering of media, entertainment and advertising professionals in Los Angeles.

While you can view my full presentation in the video above, here’s a quick look at some of what I think lies ahead for 2012 in media and advertising (with some fresh updates since my presentation, which was given in early November).

1. Social Curation and Mobile Will Drive Growth for Media Organizations

The rise of mobile and tablets is having a profound impact on media consumption habits. At Mashable, for example, our average iPad app user spends 6 times as much time with the content as our average web user.

More broadly speaking, tablet apps that also take into account what your social network is sharing – like Flipboard, Zite and Pulse – are becoming important new distribution channels. And early signs point to Apple’s Newsstand becoming a key driver of growth for traditional publications. Conde Nast, for example, recently reported a 268% increase in digital subscribers after launching on Newsstand.

Facebook’s social news apps are also opening up Zynga-like opportunities for publishers. Just last week, The Guardian revealed that its app has been installed more than 4 million times and is driving more than 1 million additional daily pageviews for the publication.

2. The Impact of the Second Screen on Television

The growing ubiquity of mobile is being felt in the living room as well. According to data from Yahoo/Nielsen, 86% of web users now use a mobile device while watching TV. That creates new opportunities for marketers to launch more interactive campaigns, and we’re already seeing startups like Into Now and Shazam create platforms for engaging with the second screen audience, with advertisers like Pepsi, Gap and Starbucks jumping on board.

The TV networks are also starting to leverage the second screen. Most networks are now offering up streaming content on mobile devices, and some, like USA, are building robust social experiences for the second screen – features the networks hope will result in stickier audiences and increase ROI for advertisers.

3. An Explosion of Content for Connected TVs

The promise of Internet connected television has lingered for several years – so much so that some might see the medium as a flop. But that’s far from the case.

While current estimates suggest about 35 million people have an Internet connected TV (either via the device itself, a set-top box or a gaming console), 65% of TVs sold in 2012 will be connected TVs. Add to that the likelihood of an Apple–made television hitting the market within the next 18 months and suddenly the outlook looks much brighter.

At the same time, we’re starting to see content providers open up their offerings to alternative viewing options. Xbox just added dozens of live TV channels to its programming lineup. And while that does still require a conventional cable subscription, it will help warm consumers to the idea of consuming content through their televisions via the Internet. Meanwhile, YouTube is investing $100 million in original web-only programming that will also be available on connected televisions, where YouTube is often a default “channel.”

That will ultimately lead to the TV of the future: consumers enjoying the same diversity of choice in video programming in the living room that they currently enjoy on the desktop. And for advertisers, that means the biggest marketing medium of them all opening up to the same type of targeting that was previously only possible on the Web and more recently mobile devices. To that end, LG recently announced a partnership with YuMe to launch an ad network for the company’s connected TVs, with Toyota as a charter sponsor.

4. Connectivity in the Car Makes Autos the Next Great Platform

In the same way the TVs of the future will be powered by the Internet, so too will the cars. And while that could impact everything from fuel efficiency to finding parking spots, its impact is already being felt on the radio dial.

With car manufacturers developing their own app platforms that can access the Internet – currently through a smartphone but eventually through built-in connectivity – the AM and FM worlds are ripe for disruption (check out how MOG works in a Mini in the video above for an example).

For example, Pandora users can now listen to their music through their car stereo in BMW, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and GMC vehicles, among others. And the online music service now accounts for nearly 4% of all radio listenership in the U.S., with the majority of its $50+ million in quarterly ad revenue coming from mobile advertising.

As music shifts to the cloud – an undeniable trend – and cars increasingly add options for accessing online content, look for radio advertising to get an Internet-powered overhaul.

5. Mobile Commerce Brings it All Together

Adding to the intrigue of advertising being delivered via the Internet across media platforms is the rise of mobile commerce. Already, ecommerce juggernauts like Amazon and eBay are reporting billions of dollars in sales taking place via mobile. Overall, Jupiter Research estimates mobile transaction volume growing to $670 billion by 2015.

Meanwhile, you have products like Google Wallet, PayPal Wallet and Square — not to mention the oft-rumored prospect of Apple moving into the mobile payments space — promising to connect location, deals and purchasing all through your phone. When you combine that concept with ads that are integrated seamlessly across media platforms, you suddenly have the purchase process of the future on the horizon.

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Mashable
is a leading source for news, information and resources for the Connected Generation. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world. Mashable's record 42 million unique visitors worldwide and 21 million social media followers are one of the most influential and engaged online communities. Founded in 2005, Mashable is headquartered in New York City with an office in San Francisco.